bessleb



F. E. BESSLER.

INNER TUBE.

APPLICATIUN FILED SEPTK 17. 191B.

atented June 24, 1919.

@vi/humo y* L A FnAivKii. Beesten, orniinoim'onio;

INNER roken Speccationof Letters Patent.

`Patented June 24, 1919.

" Appiiaiibn aiedsetiemti i7, isis. i p serial no. 254,486.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK iissniin,

a citizen of the United States, residingfat Akron, in the county of `Summitand State" of Ohio, ,have invented a new `anduseful Inner Tube, of Which thefollovving a specification; c

T he device forming the subject matter of this application is a vehicle tire, andtheinl vention aiins c to provide anfinner tube in the form of a helical spring, novel "means being c provided for controlling the expansion and the contraction of the spring to vary the support which `the spring affords` for the casing, novelineans being provided for reinf" forcing the spring. c c y y i It is Within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to iivliichlthef.

present invention appertains.

W'ith theabove and other objects vieu/,` y c c e y l A helical spring, preferably in the forni which will appear as the description 'pro-` ceeds, the invention resides in the coinbination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, `with?` in the scope of what isclaiined, changes in the precise `embodiment `of the ini'fention shown can be made Without departingfroinl3 the spirit of tlieinvention. c y In the accompanyingdraWings:- y

Figure 1 showsin longitudinalsection,` a

device constructed in accordance lWith `the invention, parts appearing in elevatioinjand i parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-42 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out the invention,. there is provided a felly `1.acar 1yiiiga `rim V2" with which a casing 3 is engaged in any` suitable Way as shown at 4` A tubeis mounted in the felly 1 and is provided at its outer end with a flange G abutting against the outer c curve of the felly l and seated in an opening 7 in the rim 2. A cap 8 is threaded oiithe inner end of the tube 5 and engages `:the

felly 1, the felly being bound between the cap 8 and the flange 6 0n the outer end of the tube.` i

A Winding shaft and for longitudinal sliding movement in the tube 5, the outer end of the Winding shaft being housed in the cap 8 and being squared or otherwise constructed, as indicated at 10, for the reception of a key. A beveled gear 11 is secured to the shaft 9 in* tei-mediate the ends of the shaft and is lo- 9 is mounted forrotation` "cated Within the casing 3. A `compression a mspringl surrounds a portionof the Windingpshaft 9, 1one cendlof the compression `spring abuttino' against the flange 6 of the "ci tubef, andtie other end ofthe spring abutting against the beveled gear 11. The` louter' end- `Oiar'fthe" Winding shaft 9 is re- .p duced `as shoivn at 14,'to form a shoulder 34. 'xlhe reduced end 14 of theyvinding shaft 9 passes through "the central enlarged part 15 of lasupport `16 coperating with the shout` V der 34. A securing device 17 ,such as a nut,

a is carried by the outer extremity ofthe re-` c duced end 14 `of the shaft 9 and cooperates naled on theiendsfof the" support 16 and ends `19.

of a metallic ribbon disposed Within the casing, the ends 21 of the helicalspring being united by means of securino devices 22 `with the peripheries of the cylindrical parts 19 of the pinions 18. y lhe terminal convolu? tions 23 ofthe spring 20 are inclined toivard `leach other, as shown {in` F ig.` 1 so as to over "hangf `the `space Which exists between the beveled pinionslSp. Owing tothis .construe`` tioinan adequate support for the casing 3 is ineshiiito the lieveleidgear 11. lThe beveled" pinioiis 18` c are provided? with cylindrical with;` the part lzof thesupport 1G to hold i ltliereduc'ed endf14 of the shaft` 9 in place c lfoi rotation. Beveledpinions 18 are jour- `provided andthere `isno portion of the cas-` y ing which not supported properly bythe Flielical spring-20.@ Resilient metallic strips 24 extend"circumferentially of themstructure and arethreaded externally of `onecoiivolu- `tionof the spring 20,and internallyfof the nexttconvolution, as clearly shown in Fig.` 1

the strips 24 being located at theatread o" the spring 2() and serving as aniinportant reinforcement therefor.

locatedside by side,1 `As indicated in Fig. 2,

each convolution,` and the other strip passes across the inner surface of the said convolutionof thehelical spring. The strips 24 do not` `engage the`convolutions of the helical spring 20 so tightly that these convolutions cannot operate circumferentially With respect to the axis of the spring 20, when the spring 2O is tightened or loosened as hereinafter described. The ends 25 of the strips 24 are crossed and extended inwardly, with in the contour of the helical spring 20, adjap Preferably a there c are two ofthe"strips` 24, `these strips being `10o one strip passes across" the "outer surfaceof shaft 9, the member 15.-l6 and attendant cent the operating mechanism comprising the shaft 9, the support 16 and attendant parts. If desired, a liner 26, ypreferably,

the liner 26 being spaced to any desired eX-V tent, as shown at 27. The liner vserves `to prevent the casing 3 from being inJured or Wornby convolutions of the spring-2070i by the metal strips 24. v y

In practical operation, the supporting effort of the helical spring 2O with respect to l the casing 3 may be varied by contracting or expanding the spring. In order to carry out ythis result, thewindingshaft 9 is r0 tated, the beveled gear 11 rotating the` beveled pinion'slS and the latter exerting a twisting effort on the ends of the helicaly spring 20. The shaft 9 may be prevented` from rotating after the spring`20 has been Wound, by any suitable means 100.

.The spring 12'serves as a support for the parts, and permits these elements to'move towardv and away from the rim 2 When the helical spring 20 'is compressed and expanded bythe Weight imposed thereon.y The strips y2a are made of resilient metal, and serve to strengthen the structure at its tread, the construction `being suchthat these strips do not interfere with the transverse or circumferential movement of the convolutions of the spring 20.

is claimed isz- 1.7In a device of the class described, a felly; a rim on the felly and having an opening; a tube in the felly and provided With a iange seated on .thel felly and locatedin the opening of the rim; a winding shaft journaled in the tube and slidable longitudinally therein; a beveled gear Wheel onthe intermediate portin yof the ,Winding` shaft; a compression spring about the Winding shaft and abutting at its ends against the gear Wheel and against the ange; a` support through Which the outer end of the -,Winding shaft is journaled; a securing device on; the outer end of the Winding shaft and engaging thesupportto hold the Winding shafttherein for rotation; beveledpinions journaled on the ends of thesupport and meshing into the beveled gear Wheel; a helical spring having its ends assembled With the beveled pinions; and a casing connected with Copies of this patent maybe obtained for Having thus described the invention, What f the riml and coperating With the helical spring.

2. `Ina device of the class described, a

helical spring; a pair or resilient strips located side by side in planes parallel to the axis of the spring, each strip passing externally .across the tread portion of one convolution of the helical spring and internally across the tread portion of the next `convolution of the helical spring, one strip passing externally across each convolution, and theother strip passing internally across the sameconvolution, the ends of the strips being `located Within the contour of the helical spring; means for imparting a twisting effort to the ends of the helical spring;

a casing inclosing the helical spring; a rim lWherewyith the casingv is assembled, said means passing through the rim.

3. Inla device of the class described, a rim; a casing on the rim; a helical spring Within the casing; beveled pinions attached to the ends'of the spring; a support whereon the pinions are journaled; a Winding shaft Vjournaled 'in' the' support and passing through the rim; a beveled gear Wheel on lthe Winding shaft and meshing into the beveled pinions; and a spring strip extended 1 circumferentially of the rim, the spring strip passing externally across the tread portion ofl onewconvolution of the helical springl and passing internally across the tread portion of the next convolution of the helicaly spring. i.

4. In a device of the class described, a rim; a casing assembled with the rim; a

vhelical'spring Within the casing and in the form of a ribbon of 0freater Width than thickness; a pair of beveled pinions having `cylindrical ends, the'ends of the spring extending circumferentially of the cylindrical ends of the pinions; means for securing the ends of the spring to the peripheries of the cylindrical ends of the pinions; a support Wheieon the pinions are journaled; a winding shaft journaled in the support and extendedythrough the rim; 'and a gear wheel on thewinding shaft, the gear Wheel mesh ing intothe pinions.

Intestimony that I claim the foregoing vas my oWn, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. BESSLER.

Witnesses:

DORQTHY C. SABIN, Anios H. ENGLEBERT.

nve centseach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. *Y i 

